Tuning In: WEEI fires Glenn Ordway as host of 'The Big Show'

‘The Big Show” will never be the same, and WEEI hopes that will be good news.

That remains to be seen.

Glenn Ordway confirmed during “The Big Show” Wednesday that WEEI management had fired him for disappointing ratings after hosting the program for nearly two decades.

“I apparently didn’t do a good enough job the last couple of years,” he said on the air, “and I paid the price.”

The Boston Globe had reported earlier in the day that Ordway would be fired and replaced by Mike Salk, a Boston native who hosts a sport talk show on 710 ESPN Radio in Seattle. Michael Holley, who joined Ordway as co-host two years ago, will remain.

Ordway said program director Jason Wolfe informed him Tuesday of the station’s decision. Ordway said on the air Wednesday that he offered to remain on the show through Friday.

Ordway said he disagreed with the decision, but felt no ill will toward the station other than whoever leaked the story to the Globe. He said he expects to find work with another station.

“I’m not dead,” The Big O told his listeners.

“Glenn and I have been together since day one,” Wolfe said in a statement. “He is an icon in this business, and he helped build WEEI into arguably the most successful sports station in history.

“I am so thankful to have been able to work alongside Glenn for the past 20-plus years and I hope that all Boston sports fans realize how important his contributions have been to this station, to the market and to this industry. He’s a true professional and that was clearer than ever in his comments today.”

Ordway hosted “The Big Show” since its inception in 1996 and has worked at WEEI since 1987, the first few as radio voice of the Celtics. But he recently turned 62 and the station apparently wants to go with younger hosts to appeal to more listeners.

Last fall, “Felger and Massarotti” on the Sports Hub 98.5 FM finished first in the ratings among men aged 25-54, the most sought-after demographic, and “The Big Show” finished fifth. It wasn’t the first time that “Felger and Massarotti” finished ahead, but last spring “The Big Show” won the ratings battle.

Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti both got their starts in radio on “The Big Show.”

According to the Globe, Ordway signed a five-year deal in January 2009 for $1 million a year, but his pay was cut in half when his show didn’t achieve enough ratings. The Sports Hub debuted as a sports talk station in August 2009. Holley was brought on board in February 2011 in an attempt to boost ratings.

Ordway deserves credit for helping create the powerhouse sports radio station that WEEI used to be before the Sports Hub debuted. As program director, he hired John Dennis and Gerry Callahan to form a wildly popularly morning show, and formed “The Big Show” for himself during afternoon drive. Deciding to pair Dale Arnold with Eddie Andelman didn’t turn out to be as successful, as Ordway admitted on the air Wednesday.

With Ordway out, WEEI will find out if he was the reason “The Big Show” finished behind “Felger & Massarotti” in the ratings. Salk will be a younger and cheaper replacement.

Listeners will soon find out if he and Holley work well together.

These are scary times at WEEI. On Monday, the station fired Kevin Winter six weeks after hiring him as sports update anchor for the “Dennis & Callahan Show,” reportedly for not developing chemistry with the hosts.

UMass voice is hopeful
UMass radio announcer Josh Maurer gives the Minutemen what he calls “a puncher’s chance” of qualifying for their first NCAA tournament in 15 years.

If they can knock out Virginia Commonwealth at 9 tonight on the road, the Minutemen will become more of a contender.

VCU is tied for first place in the Atlantic 10 with Butler at 7-2. UMass is 6-3.

VCU uses the same full-court pressure defense that carried it to the 2011 NCAA Final Four. VCU coach Shaka Smart calls it “havoc.” UMass coach Derek Kellogg liked it so much, he picked Smart’s brain and installed his own full-court press the last two seasons. So there will be a lot of pressure defense tonight.

Maurer expects an exciting game. On his radio show this week, Kellogg told Maurer and listeners that he realized some fans might expect the Minutemen to try to slow it down.

“He said, ‘Nope, we’re going to go right after them. We’re going to do what we do and we’ll see who’s better,’ ” Maurer said. “So it should be a really interesting game and you have to figure points will be aplenty.”